If I could tell you ONE THING - it would be this: it doesn't have to be all or nothing. in ANYTHING you do! but in this do more with less, do it yesterday kind of world it's harder than it appears. The pursuit of balance is something I'm always striving for. And guess what...it's hard. Really hard. But i'm learning - you can't do it all and you shouldn't! Do what matters to you...but I have learned there are tips and tricks to help you along the way. Just simple tweaks to make every day that help you along in the pursuit of living a balance of health. (physical, emotional, spiritual, in your family life, financial) -

Pursuit of Balance - the small tweaks

1. Make your priorities. Like I talked about above..you simply can't do it all and you shouldn't try! Write down what you want your focus to be on this week. Simply make it THREE things.
Example:
1. I'm going to run THREE days this week
2. I'm going to do my daily devotion every day this week.
3. I'm going to pack a healthier lunch three days this week.

So by focusing on these simple actions it's now time to PLAN it. We are all given the same 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. Plot it out and SCHEDULE your time. Otherwise the week will be gone and you will be disappointed that you didn't do what you set out to do.

2. Nutrition wise I find it so sad for people to be on these "diets" where they aren't even allowing themselves to enjoy the simple things. My outlook is moderation and that you should HAVE a diet and not be ON one. Too many people jump from quick fix diet to quick fix diet - and guess what? It works for a while, but then when you go back to normal you end up unhappy and disappointed. Look at the way you are eating and ask yourself this: "Can I seriously do this forever?" - if not - you aren't doing something that will work for the long haul and you will just be searching for the next thing.

3. Have a treat. Do it. Savor it. Enjoy it. Depriving yourself of something you love will only lead to wanting it more and a binge session later. I will NEVER give up my love for chocolate! When having something like chocolate - sit down. enjoy it. Taste is all bite by bite and LOVE every second! Don't inhale and keep grabbing for more.

4. Don't give up on trying new things - like vegetables! Stop telling yourself that something is "yucky" - So many times people have had past experiences that leave them to thinking that "green beans are gross because they are mushy." "Sweet potatoes are gross because that casserole we had at Thanksgiving was too sweet." - ok. there are a MILLION WAYS to cook and eat vegetables. Just because our grandparents or parents cooked something we disliked when we were younger doesn't mean we won't like it now. Keep trying. Keep experimenting.

5. You guys know how much I love coffee! You don't have to deprive yourself of your favorite coffee treat either. We know that many of the fancy drinks can be sugar laden - but with this simple change it makes a big improvement! Instead of ALL the syrup added in to sweeten it ask for half the amount or "one pump" of one of the flavors. There are also many non-dairy milks now available.

6. When meal prepping double the amount that you are making. It won't take much longer, and you already have everything out anyway. Don't think you can eat it all this week? Freeze it.

7. I'm obsessed with personal development..that in fact is a whole other article in itself. A trick that Chalene taught me: "pair a mindless activity with a mindful activity" Ex: Driving + Podcast, Showering + Audible book, Cleaning + Podcast, Waiting in a waiting room - have your book packed. - there are a ton of ways you can incorporate this into your day that won't take any more time. - like i said, it's always about making the best use of your time.

8. Be proud of the things you do each day and stop being so hard on yourself for the things that didn't get checked off the to-do list. Try reframing this: make a list of all the things you DID today!

What are some of YOUR small tweaks hat you do each day? - Any to share?
​Do you do any of the above things?